Introduction
Does anybody else enjoy experimenting with textures on your images, or want to learn more? In this Learn and Share thread, let's share what we know, and if you haven't experimented with them, jump in and give it a shot! Post your images that use textures to this thread, and tell us a bit about what you did, including hints and tips. If you're just experimenting for the first time, post your experiments and ask for help if you need it. If you are already a texture nut like me, just quit reading now and post your own example. Be sure and share any tips you have to get the results you get!

Why would we want to play with textures? What are they anyway?
- A texture is one or more images overlaying (or underlying) your original, for the purpose of adding impact. You do this to create a certain mood or style, such as vintage, or to add more depth - the illusion of real texture.http://photo.net/learning/digital-photo ... er-photos/
Where do we get the textures?
- Some programs have them built in. Topaz has a special program just for textures. But truthfully, you don't need a special program, just some program that does layers.
- I enjoy making my own textures by photographing concrete, brick walls, water, stucco, rough paper, etc. I used pictures of the concrete and water of the dam as textures in my dam bird series. There are also free sources on the internet. http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-website ... extures/.

What kinds of images might work OK with textures?
- Some of my favorites are old buildings, old autos, city streets, farm scenes, flowers. But you can create an interesting image with just about any subject, you just have to match the texture to the subject. I've even done a portrait of my grandson with textures. UHH member Dave Chinn does some amazing portraits with textures as a part of a composite.
- Images with lots of negative space tend to do best for me.

What do I do with the texture once I have it?
1. Drag it on top of your image in your layering program or import it in as a layer. (I use Photoshop but any layering program will work)
2. Use your program's commands to resize the texture to fit and/or drag it to where you want it.
3. Try different blending modes. (The ones I use most often are multiply and soft light, but I use others as well).
4. Try different opacity for the texture layer
5. Mask out areas of the texture that interfere with the image itself such as spots on your subject's face.
6. Add other textures as you wish.
Masking basics (for those who want to go this route to lighten or remove parts of the texture in certain areas)
1. Click on the texture layer in your layer stack.
2. Go to Layer/Add Layer Mask/Reveal All which will put a white mask emblem to the right of your image layer. Click on the white mask emblem to select it.
3. Use the brush of your choice with black paint selected at about 10-20% opacity and a feathered edge to lighten or paint out the texture in areas where you think it's too much. Repeat till you are satisfied. Be sure you are painting on the mask rather than the image itself. If you make a mistake, switch to white paint to paint the texture back in.
4. This same process works if you are adding another layer of IMAGE, paint out/paint in pieces of the added image at the opacity you want.
5. The process works equally well if you choose Layer/Add Layer Mask/Hide All. This will hide your mask and will cause a black mask emblem to appear beside the image icon on that layer. With this approach, you will paint with white paint on the black mask to paint in the part of the texture you want at your chosen opacity.

Valuable hints:
1. Name your layers as you go in case you need to find one where you did something you want to change
2. If you can't see what you're doing with your masking, reduce the opacity of the layer you're working on (or the one below or above) so you can see below, then change it back when done.
3. Memorize the layer composite shortcut (command+option/alt+shift+e= new layer created on top which is a combination of all layers below)
4. Sometimes duplicating this composite layer and blending with Soft Light to the layer(s) below gives some depth to your final image.
5. While there are lots of brushes that come built in with Photoshop and other programs, it is fun to add more. I especially like grunge brushes for working with texture layers. Here's some free ones http://www.creativebloq.com/photoshop/f ... s-11121140

Here's two examples of mine, and please add your own, whether you are an experienced user or just playing around to learn something new right now.

The first image is the original of a lobster fisherman on Monhegan Island, which I liked very much as it was, and the second is the same image enhanced with textures for extra drama. The third is one of my images from the dam bird collection, enhanced with texture to make the water droplets and golden morning light more pronounced.

(And thanks to Linda Shorey and Dave Chinn for helping me vet this one, and for the contributions they'll be making as we go.)

Attachments

Lobster fisherman on Monhegan, original image

t1-386122-t1.jpg (14.02 KiB) Viewed 873 times

Lobster fisherman on Monhegan, enhanced with texture for drama in the sky

t1-386979-t1x.jpg (36.84 KiB) Viewed 873 times

dam bird, enhanced with texture to make the water droplets and gold light more pronounced

"God gave me photography so that I could pray with my eyes" - Dewitt Jones

I'm one, like many others, that do a lot of experimenting with various post processing styles, while textured layers seems to be a favorite of mine I don't always choose to use. I'm attaching two images where I have used a textured layer ever so subtle, especially the first one, which was taken in Keystone, South Dakota.

Minnie, I wanted to comment on your textured images, but forgot until it was too late. So here I am again !!! While I love your dam bird series, I cannot let your 'Lobster fisherman on Monhegan' go unnoticed. The textured layer used works very well with this image and while the shot itself is absolutely stunning, the textured layer adds a certain dramatic appeal to my eyes thats sort of indescribable.
Dave

I'm so glad you created this topic, Minnie. I've been somewhat addicted for a year now - all your fault, of course

With my own explorations to date I've mostly used textures as a major element in the image rather than a supporting player. I've purchased a few texture files, been given some and have started to shoot my own.

Here is one result using the photo and texture file shown below. I have this on my critter wall in a yellowish-brown 8x10 frame.

EDIT - I forgot to mention that I also added some "glamour glow" and sunlight color via Nik filters.

I'm one, like many others, that do a lot of experimenting with various post processing styles, while textured layers seems to be a favorite of mine I don't always choose to use. I'm attaching two images where I have used a textured layer ever so subtle, especially the first one, which was taken in Keystone, South Dakota.

These are great examples, Dave. I knew you'd have some that demonstrated how textures can be applied to portrait work and people photography in general. Thank you for sharing them. If we lure some folks into trying this, I may ask you to post a screenshot of your layers showing how you work through them.

"God gave me photography so that I could pray with my eyes" - Dewitt Jones

I'm so glad you created this topic, Minnie. I've been somewhat addicted for a year now - all your fault, of course

With my own explorations to date I've mostly used textures as a major element in the image rather than a supporting player. I've purchased a few texture files, been given some and have started to shoot my own.

Here is one result using the photo and texture file shown below. I have this on my critter wall in a yellowish-brown 8x10 frame.

Thank you Linda. I love the way you brought the image to life with the texture. The uses of them are unlimited and range from the point where no one would know a texture is there to those where you suspect something extra is there but aren't sure to those where the texture is a star attraction.

"God gave me photography so that I could pray with my eyes" - Dewitt Jones

Thank you Linda. I love the way you brought the image to life with the texture. The uses of them are unlimited and range from the point where no one would know a texture is there to those where you suspect something extra is there but aren't sure to those where the texture is a star attraction.

Wonderful post Minnie. I just came back from Seattle to see the Andrew Wyeth show at our Seattle Art Museum. This image came to mind which I took back
in 2009 in the Hoquiam/Aberdeen, WA area. Added a texture, found the blending mode I wanted and then desaturated the image.

A number of years back I took a portrait class from my friend Darton Drake, he loved using textures and fabric in his portrait work. He turned my portrait world upside down
and I will forever be indebted for his teachings and embracing me as a friend. He is no longer with us but I'm sure he wouldn't mind me sharing his work.

Oh, Minnie, you excite my hopes when you start something like this. I can barely crawl through LR and some of SEP2, and here you dangle textures before my tired eyes. I didn't know there were textures outside of PS or that there were layers programs other than PS. Any you would recommend, knowing what I know and am capable of doing? I will try this out and show what results. Matt

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